One Giant blowout in All-Star win

San Francisco’s Cabrera, Sandoval, Cain steer National League to lopsided victory

The National League’s Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants shows off his MVP trophy after the All-Star game in Kansas City, Mo. Cabrera had a home run and drove in two runs for the National League in an 8-0 victory.
Associated Press

The National League’s Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants shows off his MVP trophy after the All-Star game in Kansas City, Mo. Cabrera had a home run and drove in two runs for the National League in an 8-0 victory.

Cabrera (left) and Giants teammate Pablo Sandoval watch from the dugout in the ninth inning, long after the Nationals had put the game away. Jonathan Daniel • Getty Images

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  Melky Cabrera and Pablo Sandoval sent the National League to a big early lead. Matt Cain and the rest of an imposing pitching staff finished off a Giant blowout in the All-Star game.

Flashing their bright orange spikes and booming bats, the San Francisco sluggers keyed a five-run blitz against Justin Verlander in the first inning that powered the NL to an 8-0 romp over the American League on Tuesday night.

Cabrera homered and won the MVP award in the ballpark where he played last season, and Cain got the win in the NL’s most-lopsided All-Star victory.

Chipper Jones singled in his final All-Star at-bat at age 40 as the NL, under retired manager Tony La Russa, once again claimed home-field advantage in the World Series.

Ryan Braun, an All-Star again after his drug suspension was overturned last winter, doubled, tripled and made a fine catch in the outfield to help give the NL its first three-game winning streak in two decades.

Cain combined with Stephen Strasburg, R.A. Dickey, Aroldis Chapman and the rest of a lights-out staff on a six-hitter.

The game was pretty much decided a few moments after it started.

Sandoval hit the first bases-loaded triple in All-Star history off Verlander, who couldn’t control his 100 mph heat. Cabrera singled and scored the first run, then hit a two-run homer against Matt Harrison in a three-run fourth.

“I don’t get many triples,” said the slow-footed Sandoval, known as Kung Fu Panda. “We had some fun with that in the dugout.”

Nicknamed the Melk-man, Cabrera is with his fourth team in four years. The former Royals outfielder drew big cheers as he received the MVP award, his mother next to him.

“I didn’t come to win an MVP. That’s just a surprise,” he said. “The same opportunity that Kansas City gave me last year is the same opportunity that San Francisco is giving me every day to showcase my talent. Again, I’m just very thankful for the fans that voted for me to come here.”

San Francisco fans, who made a late voting push to elect Sandoval and Cabrera to starting spots, might really appreciate the victory come October. The Giants are a half-game behind the first-place Dodgers in the NL West.

Rafael Furcal also hit a three-bagger, making the NL the first league with three in an All-Star game.

As the All-Stars returned to Kansas City for the first time since 1973, La Russa bid a fond farewell to the national stage in the city where he played for his first major league team.

Having retired after managing St. Louis to last year’s World Series title, La Russa became just the fourth inactive manager to skipper an All-Star team and improved to 4-2.